Ms. Florence Ferrari, French Ambassador to Slovenia, welcomed guests and opened floor for a discussion about the cooperation between the Western Balkans and European Union (EU). This was an excellent opportunity to talk about the investment and cooperation projects between the EU and the Western Balkans. 

Working as an international organization with the mission to support capacity development of public officials and their institutions in South East Europe through learning and knowledge sharing, we were happy to share our experience in running several successful development projects in the Western Balkans. CEF Director Jana Repanšek presented the outstanding results of the three-year multi-beneficiary capacity development Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms (FISR)  project funded by the EU. Through the FISR project we enhanced skills and capacities of finance and line ministries’ officials in the areas of costing of structural reforms, their impact on national budgets and economies, transparency of policy design, quality of the Economic Reform Programmes and inter- and intra-institutional coordination. The FISR project has also given us the opportunity to work even closer with our regional partners and to grasp the needs and priorities of the public institutions in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Other speakers contributing to the discussion were also Jure Stojan, Institute for Strategic Solution, Francesco Ferrero, European Investment Bank, Katja Geršak, Centre for European Perspective, and Peter Grk, National Coordinator for the Western Balkans.

The gathering continued with the informal CEF Spring networking lunch where diplomats from the EU and Western Balkans, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the CEF had an opportunity to meet with their colleagues in a relaxed setting.